When everything burns
by Buru-beri-chan
Summary: They say there is no revenge as complete as forgiveness, something like that is hard to come by for this Fallen Princess of a once wonderful kingdom. She always thought the stars would have to change for her to stop her hatred, and so they will.
1. Introduction

**A/N:** Hi guys! Okay so before anybody ask this isn't the squeal to More to life, that's still a working process. This is a totally different story with different pairings and OC, if any of you guys have been on my Quizilla account you might find some of the later chapters very familiar. Alrigth so this i'll update every other week on the Sundays that I'm not updating my Wolf's rain fanfic. Okay? I hope you guys enjoy.

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><p>Introductions<p>

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><p>"The parties have searched as far as the lamp post and its surrounding area where we found his majesties horses but found no sign of them..."<p>

"Has Archenland been alerted to our search?"

"No they have not"

"Good, it would be best that nothing is known for the time being..."

"What will you have us do with the remaining Giants? A small number of them still claim loyalty to the white witch"

"Contact our allies among them and..."

The small crack made in the doorway was carefully closed shut cutting off any other words said by those within. The lone Humanoid looking female was also cut from view as well. Sympathy was held for this woman, for the past week she had been under great stress and only problems seemed to answer to her pleas for help. The Kings and Queens of this great kingdom had vanished without warning or reason leaving their country in what appeared to be a growing panic.

No longer wishing to pry on discussion of the country's current affairs the only daughter of the High king stepped away from the door and quietly ventured down the long corridors back to her room where her brother resided needing assurance that everything would be alright.

These two children were the known heirs of High King Peter the Magnificent and their names were James and Clairabell. Both inherited they sun-kissed golden hair of their parents and eyes the color of the eastern sea from their mother alone. Clairabell was the older of the two being the age of nine while her younger brother followed at age six. Though spaced by three simple years James considered the gap to be far greater seeking assurance and approval from his elder sister whenever he could get it. However these days Clairabell was in no mood for such actions. She gradually began to treat her brother cruelly offering the confused child a cold shoulder rather than comfort. Clairabell did not hate her brother though, in fact she adored him, but he was the only outlet the young girl had. Her mother's growing distress was her growing frustration and with it came a hatred for those who caused it. Her own flesh and blood her family but most of all the man who assisted in her very creation and because he was missing his son was placed in his stead.

"Well?" James sat up a bit taller from his spot on his sister's bed once she returned. "Father is in Archenland right? Or maybe the Lone Islands? I hope he brings us something when he returns"

"He is neither in Archenland nor at sea" Clairabell answered making the smile of her siblings face disappear as she gently shut her door and moved to her dresser sitting down before it. "I would being begin learning to be a king if I were you"

"Why would I need to do that when we have Father and our aunts and uncle?" Inquired James, the boy crawled off Clairabell's bed and joined her at her dresser. He watched as she calmly brushed her hair out "I do not have to worry so long as they're here so why?"

"Because they are gone." Clairabell snapped slamming her brush down loud enough to make James jump slightly. The princess glanced back at the boy with an angered glare "Do you not understand? They are not coming back! Father and his kin are gone; all that is left is us! We are the sole heirs; you better begin to act like it" with a frown forming on her face she pushed herself to her feet and swiftly moved across the room and away from her brother. Despite his sisters harsh words James held strong to his belief thinking he would certainly win this argument.

"Mother says they are away for a little while" he said turning to face his sister, whose back faced him. "If mother says that they will be back then Father will be back"

"Mother will say anything to calm you and give her peace" Clairabell retorted whipping around holding her glare and deep frown that her brother now mimicked "You foolish child, do you, too, turn your eyes to our mother's feelings?"

"I know Mothers feelings well!" the six year old yelled at her "Mother is always lonesome when father leaves!"

"She is lonesome because she is aware that Father is gone" Clairabell shook her head, the agitation between the two was growing rapidly as the argument progressed mainly because poor James was growing more upset because of his sister harsh words. His face was turning a bright shade of red and his tiny hands were curled into tight fist but Clairabell could not seem to care any less for she pushed on. "You only cause her more grief"

"I do not!" James yelled at the top of his lungs "You are wrong! It is you who is foolish!" but Clairabell simply shrugged turning casually to her wardrobe and looking through it.

"Mother weeps at the sight of you" she stated

"Shut up!" bellowed the boy

"You look more like father as days pass, soon you will become a replica of him" Clairabell went on tormenting her poor brother to the point of tears. Proud of the shape she left her brother in Clairabell looked back at him with a slanted smile "it pains mother to see this, you remind her so much of father. Soon enough she too will leave us if only to free herself from the ghost of father"

"You are wrong!" James finally screamed with large, wet tears running down his cheeks "Father will come back! And when he returns I will tell him everything you have said!" and with that the now ballistic boy stormed out of his sisters room slamming her doors shut as loudly as he could to get his anger across. Clairabell sighed in response to this action shuffling to her bed and crawling deep into the sheets.

"Baby" she commented to no one. Now graced with silence the daughter of High King Peter cuddled deep into her bedding and closed her eyes welcoming sleep like a dear old friend. All night she slept peacefully unaware of the changes that would soon befall her and her brother the following day.

When dawn finally broke over the castle of Cair Paravel and only the earliest of birds woke to sing their lovely songs Clairabell's door was gently pushed open. A woman entered the room with such grace it would appear to anyone's eyes that she floated into the room rather than walked. The long gowned she wore was a Transparent green matching the crown of leaves that dances about her golden locks of hair. She moved to Clairabell's bed side and gently shook the girl awake.

"Clairabell my sweet" her voice held such tone, many a man could hear it once and never again forget the sound of it "raise child, dawn breaks. There is much to share with so little time to do so…" another gentle shake and Clairabell was wearily rubbing the sands of sleep from her eyes. Her blues eyes met the magical one of this woman and within moments opened fully.

"Mother?" she croaked earning a gently smile from the beautiful woman.

"Come" the woman easily raised the child from her bed and set her lightly down on her feet "we must make haste" she stood from her kneeling position and took Clairabell's hand quickly guiding the child out of her room and into the hall. Outside, James drifting in and out of sleep in the long arms of a slender woman almost a beautiful as Clairabell's mother. Her deep brown hair was carelessly thrown to the shoulder James head did not rest on and showed signs that she had woken in a hurry and had little time to brush it. The woman's face told the tale of great worry but was met by the calm expression of Clairabell's mother.

"You are certain this is the right choice?" this woman spoke in a soft; hush tone upon meeting eyes with the mother. "The others will be angered by this; I do not wish to watch you suffer"

"This is all I can do to protect them" replied the beautiful woman as she gazed down at her daughter and watched the child sway slightly where she stood "Edna" she addressed the brunette smiling despite the tears she saw forming in the woman's eyes "I must do this, You saw it so"

"How deeply I wish I did not" Edna muttered softly here gaze now down cast in sorrow "you must suffer so long only to die alone…Annette…surely I have seen it wrong-"

"Be still" Annette whispered harshly before glancing down the hall the sounds of steps echoed down the hall heading for them. "The time for doubt has past" the woman bent down and hoisted her daughter off her feet and into a gentle hold "we must move" Edna nodded and the two women moved with swift grace down the long Corridor. They moved quietly until they arrived at the northern gates of the castle where the orchard grew. There they hid among the trees cradling James and Clairabell and looking east with great hope. If Edna had seen correctly today was the day that he would return. As sun and horizon met light made the Orchard glow an almost golden hue too bright for the woman to look to, they turned away from the blinding light shielding their eyes from it until the sun began to rise into the sky and the light dimmed ever so slightly. When they looked east again, a creature stood where the sun so brightly blinded them no less than a second ago. The overwhelming feeling of joy that washed over them was enough to tell them who this being was. The light he gave off as his he were the sun itself danced across their skin giving them new found warmth and life. The Great King himself stood before the two women. Annette breathed a sigh of relief and a tightness in her chest lessened.

"Aslan…" she breathed lowering herself gently to her knees with Edna soon to follow.

"Raise my dear children" the great lion spoke stepping forward allowing his features to better be seen by the women.

"The sight of you gives me great relief" Annette spoke softly as she stood again and extended her free hand to run across the lions golden mane "now I am certain all will be well and they will be safe" her voice shook with the tears she was holding back and she quickly retracted her hand to wipe at them before Aslan could see them but her did.

"Be brave dear Annette" he spoke "For all you've have sacrificed and all you will endure I promise their safety until they're father sees them again" Annette nodded solemnly drying her face of her tears.

"Then my decision is one I pride in" she choked before turning to Edna who choice not to hold back her tears for she had seen the suffering this beautiful woman who soon endure. She heard the hateful words and the scorn and had seen her ultimate death as vividly as if she had been there herself and for this she wept for the queen of High King Peter. "The time has come Edna"

"…yes" the brunette nodded slowly and so the two women ventured deeper into the orchard with Aslan leading them. Farther in where the trees grew so close that sun could not peek through the leave but simply make them glow magically, deep within the orchard resting along a lone tree sat a large cradle of a shimmering gold color. Annette hesitated but after a moment of holding her daughter in her arms lowered the now sleepy girl into this cradle, Edna soon followed with James.

"Listen well sweet child of my beloved" Clairabell gazed up at her mother's lovely face and could do nothing more but wonder what made the woman so sad that she silently wept. Annette reached down and caressed the girls face "Flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood. Our world is changing darkly; to protect you, the fruit of my love for your father, we must part" the beautiful queen reached around her neck and removed her necklace, a shield baring the crest of Narnia, and gently pulled it over Clairabell's neck. "But weep not for when you wake, my love, your father will not be soon behind…" tears fell from the woman's eyes and onto the Childs face as Clairabell, still very confused, reached up a hand and caressed her mother's face like she did hers. "Protect your kin and stay strong. Everything will be alright in time…" and with that the woman pulled away from the cradle feeling as though a piece of her heart was tearing away with the last touch of her daughters hand. She nodded to Aslan to go on. The lion nodded in understanding before taking a deep breath and blowing a deep wave of warmth over the cradle that held the two children. Clairabell surrendered to sleep quickly closing her eyes to the world around her for what would be many, many years.

"You have done the right thing" Aslan assure Annette watching the broken woman openly cry now. She turned now to Edna sorrow filled but smiling proudly.

"The task now lies with you Edna" she whispered softly, Edna did not smile back at Annette but shook her head.

"You will suffer" she said

"Of this I know well" Annette replied

"You will die" she also said"

"Of this I also know well" Annette answered and finally Edna could not take it and circled her slender arms around the woman pulling her into a tight hug.

"Why must you suffer so? I do not wish to part" she cried openly "I wish to stay at your side, you should not suffer alone"

"But I must" Annette held Edna in a tight hug before pulling back to looking into the woman's eyes "…Sister… my dear sister this is something that I must do. Just as this is something that you must do" Edna shook her head.

"You will suffer…y-you will die" the woman choked

"Please Edna I beg of you" Annette pleaded "you must…" finally after a moment of tears Edna finally nodded and released her sister.

"I will do my best" she sniffled wiping her eyes of her tears earning a nod from Annette before the two separated. Edna moved beside the cradle and gave her sister one last look before she began to change, her skin grew darker and rough to the touch, she grew taller and began to look less and less human like until a large Willow tree stood where she once did. In her no form she gazed at her lovely sister once last time before the warmth of Aslan's breath brought her sleep like it had Clairabell and James. Her long branches bent low blanketing the cradle shielding it from all outside of it. There the children would peacefully sleep for a very long time. Annette, now parted from her children and a dear sister, stood beside Aslan in silent emptiness.

"I have done right?" she voice softly, the fear and doubt she had been holding back was clear now. She didn't have to let her feelings be known for Aslan always seemed to know before she could ever voice her true feelings. Eyes now red and swollen from tears the beautiful queen looked towards Aslan. The lion smiled and nodded giving her great comfort as she gazed back at the willow before her "I have done right…" she repeated more sure than a moment ago "….I have done right"


	2. Chapter I: The return

**Chapter I:** The Return

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><p>That large willow tree that had once been a beautiful woman named Edna blurred from vision and faded until a poster encouraging young men to enlist in the war took its place and the realization quickly came that it hadn't actually been there in the first place came. It had all been just a strange daydream of sorts, truly strange in subject. She had been having a lot of these strange daydreams as of recent and most of them if not all of them contained that woman, Edna, those two children and that great lion that always appeared to the east. Why did such things always come to her randomly? Before the young school girl before the poster could try and process her daydream an abrupt shove came her way and almost sent her colliding into the wall.<p>

"Watch where you're going"

The girl glanced over her shoulder at the rude boy that had bumped her. He probably did it on purpose because there was more than enough room to walk around the station. She shrugged him off and turned back to the poster she had been looking at. Now, back to figuring out the peculiar dream of hers-another rough bump came causing her to stumble forward.

"Aren't you going to apologize?" spoke the boy from before as his goonies gathered around. The girl looked back at them and raised an eyebrow at him.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked turning fully to face him, crossing her arms as she did. The smug little punk glanced around at his friends before turning his smug look towards this school girl his age.

"You heard me" he replied "apologize for bumping me"

"apologize?" She repeated, she couldn't help but smirk a bit in an attempt to keep from laughing. "For bumping you? Who bumped you? Certainly not I" at this point the girl was laughing angering the boy trying to intimidate her.

Meanwhile, a certain young man stood nearby watching this girl do what she did best; piss people off. Peter Pevensie had been very curious about this girl every since she had become his neighbor. She had long flowing golden locks of hair and her big eyes held a shade of blue that didn't look like anything of this world. She and her mother had moved next door to the Pevensie's not long after the children's return to their home. Peter had gazed on in slight awe when they had gone to welcome their new neighbors and the door opened slowly to reveal this beauty with skin that seemed to glow. Her name was Annette White and she looked exactly like the Annette Peter remembered from Narnia a full year ago. However, looks can be very deceiving. This Annette wasn't the thin fragile woman the eldest Pevensie had married long ago. No, Annette White _'had a healthy amount of meat on her bones'_as she put it. Unlike Peters once wife Annette White was anything but fragile, not that his Annette had been fragile glass to begin with but still, she could hold her own in a fight against anyone a fact she proved upon first meeting Peter.

It had been a full year since the Pevensie's last saw Narnia and Peter had always had hopes that they would someday return. After all, he had a wife and two children to look after there. However, the time had not come yet and Peter was stuck with the lingering question: was Annette White his wife from Narnia? If she was she wasn't making it obvious that she was. As a matter of fact since their first meeting she tried her very best to stay clear of Peter most of the time.

Peter sat up slightly when the boy before Annette gave her a hard shove causing her back to hit the wall behind her. Peter stood up quickly.

"Peter" Lucy warned tugging at her brother's sleeve obviously familiar with the look in his eye. When he had this look trouble always followed.

"I said apologize" ordered the persistent boy. He gave Annette another shove. She glared at him opening her mouth to give him a good tongue lashing when a figure taller than her loomed over them.

"You were the one who bumped her, why is she apologizing?"

The boys turned their heads in the direction of the person while Annette rolled her eyes. Great, here comes big shot Peter Pevensie here to save the day! _'Hooray I'm saved'_ Annette thought sarcastically to herself.

"You have something to say?" commented the boy glaring at Peter. Peter glanced at Annette, she in turn glared at him as well but he ignored this.

"I believe you owe her an apology for bumping her" said Peter. All the other boys laughed at this and Annette sighed. And so was the result of Peter being all high and mighty; absolutely nothing but a bruised ego on his part. After their laugh was done they turned back to Annette.

"Now where was I?"

"Making me apologize" Annette jumped in getting a nod of thanks from her harasser.

"right-"

"Excuse me" Peter jumped in again this time the boy before Annette got very agitated. He turned around and gave Peter a hard shove making him stumble back.

"Look here buddy-"

He never had the chance to finish his sentence because Peter came back fully and slugged the kid so hard Annette was sure she heard his teeth rattle.

…_Great_.

A full out brawl quickly followed quickly after this hit and Annette found herself backing up into the poster she had been looking at. Peter punched the kid again knocking him off his feet. His two friends joined in while he held his nose. They pushed Peter against the wall across from Annette holding him there so their leader could get in a free shot. By now other students waiting for the train had gathered chanting out the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Edmund!" Lucy's voice broke through the crowd. Annette gasped as Edmund, Peter's younger brother, came jumping from the crowd attacking the one student who's almost had his nose broken. Both dropped to the ground hard while Peter body slammed another boy into the other. With a hard jab the ring leader punched Edmund in the gut and pushed him back. His goons shoved Peter out to the platform and he went onto shoved Peter's head over the side. Again Edmund came in recovering from the blow dealt to him and tackled the leader again. When one of the goon's kicked Peter in the ribs Annette had enough. With a scream she charged and jumped on this goons back, wrapping her legs around his waist to secure her position, and grabbed at his short hair yanking on it hard.

He yelled in pain backing up and slamming Annette into the nearest wall. She grunted but kept strong. The boy slammed her again, still she did not let go. Finally the boy charged backward and slammed Annette against the wall hard. She cried out as pain shot through her spin and she finally let go.

Moments past and loud cheering buzzed in Annette's ears as the fight raged on between the Pevensie brothers, herself and these three others. She was presently pinning this poor boy down and giving him hell dealing blow after blow to his pretty little face and most likely his ego (from being beaten up so bad by a girl). Annette rammed his head against the hard floor certain he would be out like a light. However, the boy flipped her over pinning her down before she could fight back. He was about to return the favor when army men on patrol came charging on. They blew whistles loudly. Alert, the students watching ran away. They men pulled the four boys apart after yanking the other off Annette.

"Act your age!" one man barked at Peter who yanked himself free from the soldiers grasp. "And you!" this was directed to the boy Annette had been fighting with "didn't your parents teach you how to treat young women? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

And so the fight was broken up, the tense air settled.

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><p>"You're welcome" said Edmund once the Pevensie siblings had gather together on the platform. Annette stood near the bench they sat at, her mother told her to stay close to them while on her way to school like them. She would be glad when her train came and she could say goodbye to Peter Pevensie for a whole school year.<p>

"I had it sorted" retorted Peter getting up from the bench and crossing his arms

"what was it this time?" asked Susan

"..." Peter didn't answer for a moment, he glanced at Annette and then at Susan. "He bumped Annette" he answered

"so you _hit_ him?" questioned Lucy

"No. After he bumped her, he tried to make her apologize" Peter added "_that's_ when I hit him"

"I don't see why you had to jump in" a livid Annette hissed walking up to the boy her age and gave him a push before crossing her arms.

"A thank you would work" Peter remarked offended by Annette's lack of gratitude to him. The girl in turn huffed looking him up and down and scuffing.

"I had it sorted" she mimicked his previous statement arms tightly crossed "Besides, I thank people who are actually useful in a fight. Not get their arse handed to them" Annette shot back "So thank you Edmund" she added nodding to Edmund before roughly shoving past Peter and heading to her bag.

"Really is it _so_ hard to just walk away?" Susan sighed sadly.

"I shouldn't have to!" yelled Peter "don't you ever get tired of being treated like a kid"

Edmund laughed sarcastically "we _are _kids" he remarked

"well I wasn't always" Peter replied and his siblings sighed. Peter often got like this, sometimes he would act as though he were an all mighty king of sorts, it was one of the reason's Annette found herself bothered by the boy. "It's been a year" sighed Peter "how long does he expect us to wait"

"I think it's time to accept the fact that we live here now" said Susan.

Annette jumped when she felt a tugging at her sleeve. She glanced down at Edmund "yea Ed?" she voiced the boy looked at her.

"Huh?" he sounded

"OW!" yelled Lucy jumping from her seat "something pinched me"

Annette felt another tug at her sleeve, stronger than before. "Seriously Ed what is it"

"what are you talking about?" countered Edmund

"Ow stop pinching!" Peter barked on Edmunds other side.

"I'm not pinching!" yelled Edmund. Susan jumped from her seat as well Edmund and Peter followed. The trained was coming.

"What is that?" said Susan

"it feels like magic" Lucy replied with excitement.

"Like what?" Annette questioned.

"Quick, everyone hold hands!" said Susan taking hold of Lucy's hand.

"I'm not holding your hand!" Edmund yelled over the blaring train as it came. Peter took hold of his brother's hands and Edmund took hold of Annette's hand.

"What are you doing!" she screamed trying to break free from his grasp but it was too late. The walls of the train station were getting blown away and the train station disappeared.

Annette stared in amazement as the train disappeared in a bright light and she and the Pevensie's were left standing in a cavern by a beach. They all slowly walked out of the cavern and looked around at the land about them. It was so warm standing in that sun. Lucy glanced at the rest of them before running out across the beach. Her siblings quickly followed kicking off their shoes and throwing off their ties and jackets.

Annette stayed behind staring in awe. This place... Where was she? The whole atmosphere of this place was just swimming with this some sort overwhelming power. It was so foreign to her but still in the back of Annette's mind it felt oddly familiar. She rearranged her hair, messy from fighting, and slowly approached the shore of the beach. The Pevensie were busy having a water fight to notice that she wasn't joining her.

Peter turned his head away as Susan splashed him. He caught sight of Annette at the shore. She was hugging herself despite having on her uniform jacket and standing in the sun as if there were chills running down her spine. She stared down at the water furrowing her eyebrows focusing deeply on something.

"Annette!" he called kicking up water and splashing her. The girl gasped loudly as she was overcome by the wave and soon her hair clung to her face and her cloths darkened in shade due to the water "What are you doing over there? Come on!"

Annette glared at him; she yanked off her now wet jacket and quickly took off her shoes and socks. "You'll regret that Pevensie" she growled tossing her messenger bag over her head and into the sand before charging into the water at him. The children fought for a while before Edmund was suddenly distracted.

"What's wrong Ed?"

"Where do you suppose we are!" asked Edmund

"where do you think?" Peter chuckled; apparently the Pevensies knew where they were.

"Well it's just... Where in Narnia do you think?" Edmund commented. They all stopped and followed Edmund's stares at high cliff to the right of them. Annette wasn't sure where this Narnia was but they were apparently there. The sun was high in the sky above them when Edmund had posed this question upon them all. Despite playing around in the cool waters of the sea for a good amount of time it was begin to grow very hot around them and Annette was starting to feel very hungry, not to mention thirsty.

"Does anyone still have their sandwiches?" Lucy inquired later on in the day when the sun was high above their heads, beating rays of heat down on them all, and they collectively clambered out of the water.

"I have mine" Edmund answered looking around at the others.

"I left mine in my bag at the station" Susan said with a slight shrug that Lucy mirrored signaling that she too had left hers behind….where ever behind was.

"I have mine here in my bag" Annette said flipping her bag open and looking inside just to be certain that it was there.

"I have my sandwich in my coat pocket" Peter ended "that makes three sandwiches for five"

"What are we going to do?" Susan spoke up, now that the high of being in this new location and no longer having to go to school had worn off the realization that they would have to survive was starting to wash over the children.

"I'm a bit thirsty" Lucy said "we should look for a stream first"

"And go in there?" Annette asked pointing to the woods at their backs. Even from the distance between them and the woods it was easy to see that they were thick and hardly looked comfortable or at all easy to pass through. The idea of going through there for water didn't seem to sit well with any of them but Peter quickly shook his head.

"We don't" he said "all streams eventually lead to the sea, if we walk along the shore we're bound to find one" and so they gathered their heavy coats and few bags and began the walk along the shore. Now this walk was anything but leisurely or pleasant. The sun beat down on their backs and their autumn coast where very heavy to carry around with them. The only one who didn't have a coat to carry was Edmund, who had left his on the station seat back in England, so he and Peter took turns carrying the eldest Pevensie's coats. As they walked Annette too in the sea to their left blowing cool air in their faces making the hot sun just a bit more bearable to walk under.

"Look to the east where sea and sky meet and sun rest between them…" she found herself muttering under her breath, it was line she had heard in one of her daydreams not long ago and in the most recent one she had recalled looking east and see a great lion, but why was she remembering this all of a sudden. Peter, who had been walking beside her, looked her way curiously.

"What?" he asked making Annette jump slightly

"Oh! Nothing… just…thinking…" she spoke looking at Peter and then back at the sea.

"Look, there!" Lucy suddenly cried out pointing so a sliver of blue among the sand leading out to the sea. Feeling overjoyed the five quickly followed this litter sliver as it lead up and into the thickets of the wood. Oh how thick these woods were and over clustered with thorns and sharp branches alike. Luckily the as the stream grew in size it also grew in depth stooping low enough for the children to climb without getting a face full of tree so long as they crouched. The climb was sometimes steep but they managed to make it to the top and were more than glad of this for they could now stand up straight and stretch out their limbs properly.

What met them at the top were old walls that appeared to have long since lost the battle against it surrounding nature. The walls around them were crumpled so badly Annette could hardly imagine what could have possible been here previously but surely someone had to have called this place home long…long ago.

"This looks like a castle…" Lucy said as she gazed around them and her siblings seemed to agree but Annette made no sounds of agreement.

"I wonder who lived here…" she heard Edmund mutter before any other words faded away.

Annette trailed off on her own; the ruins of this building were different in her eyes compared to the Pevensie's to the point that she was certain she was having yet another one of her daydreams, but this one was different from the others, this one Annette had never seen before which was just a bit unusual considering most of her strange daydreams were just the same ones of two over and over again. As she walked about, the wither and crumbled walls lifted from their places on the ground morphing together as if time was rewinding. The plants and grass pulled back until before Annette's eyes she found herself standing in a glorious palace hall. Her body acted on its own making her walk down the hall before turning into a room.

Oh, and what a breath taking room it was. Its ceiling was high and walls a wondrous gold. Annette walked over to the bed in this room a large bed big enough to fit her and the Pevensie's in it and still have room for more. She laid down on this soft almost cloud like bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was while laying here that Annette felt as though she were watching a film through her own eyes

_"you look content" a deep voice spoke from beside her. Annette looked to the side, beside lay a slightly older looking Peter. He looked in his early twenties. He was laying on his side, bare chest, gazing at Annette in such a loving yet amused way. Annette grinned at him rolling onto her side. She noticed she was until the covers of the bed now and with completely nothing on._

_"There is much truth in this" she hummed resting her head on Peters chest allowing him to play with her bangs, pushing them out of her face._

_"I'm lucky we met you know" Peter commented._

_"The stars draw our fates. It is destiny, not luck, which brought us to this." Annette replied with a wise air to her tone. "How we came to this is past, now we focus on the future and your heir" Annette gazing up at Peter. His eyes sparkled with ideas she could only guess._

_"Well then" said Peter; he was fast in rolling Annette completely so he was looming over her making her squeal. "We should get back to that" he chuckled as did Annette. "I love you Annette" he added_

_Annette reached up and caressed the young man's face. "And I love you Peter" she whispered. The couple smiled at each other. As their faces drew closer a voice rang out._

"Annette"

Annette blinked. Suddenly she wasn't lying in the bedroom. She lay in the grass staring up at the young face of the Peter she knew. He gave her a curious look.

"Are you alright?" he asked noticing her face turning slightly red. Annette nodded quickly getting to her feet and hurrying away from Peter.

"Who do you think lived here?" Annette heard Lucy ask

"... I think we did..." Susan replied

Annette neared the remaining three siblings. Susan held a golden chess piece in her hand. She turned it round and round in her hand examining it before offering it to Annette to look at. The piece was fairly heavy considering its size so it must have been real solid gold. Some one of high status, perhaps and king and queen, must have lived here. The moment that Edmund saw the chess piece he took it from Annette and looked it over.

"Hey... This is mine, from my chess set!" he said

"which chess set?" asked Peter approaching behind Annette.

"I didn't exactly have a solid gold chess set in Finchly did I?" replied Edmund sarcastically

"it can't be..." whispered Lucy softly a look of recognition seemed to wash over her. She pushed past the others and hurried to a stone floor that wasn't yet fully covered by nature. "Can't you see?" said Lucy. She pushed Edmund to one section of the stone floor them did the same to Peter aligning him with Edmund. "Imagine stone walls..." she spoke on, she took Annette's hand and pulled her so she was right beside Peter and too close for comfort. The two looked at one another before quickly looking away. "And columns over there! And a glass roof" Lucy moved Susan and them stood in the spot beside.

Annette didn't have to try to imagine this, she could see it already. It was like before, the walls rose from their place on the ground joining to make the magical room. The words found Annette before she could stop to think about it.

"... Cair Paravel..." she whispered but Peter heard her and glanced at her.


	3. Chapter II: Cair Paravel

**Thanks to MaskedNarnianQueen for the reviewing!**

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><p><strong>Chapter II:<strong> Cair Paravel

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><p>"No…" Susan gasped looking about the ruins in disbelief "this can't be… We've only been gone a year…" They had all remained frozen to their spots ever since Lucy had placed them all and gazed out at the area. Annette bit down on her bottom lip slightly, despite Susan's disbelief as to where they were Annette was very sure that this place was exactly what they thought it was but how could it come to such state in a simple year?<p>

"There's only one way to find out" Peter's voice interrupted Annette's thoughts and she looked at him as he turned around and walked away from them.

"Where are you going?" Edmund quickly followed his brother and soon so did the girls until they stood before a lone wall covered in ivy to the point that you almost couldn't tell there was a wall there to begin with.

"The treasure room" Peter finally answered his brother glancing briefly at him "You remember right?"

"_Of course_ I do" Edmund replied "It had all our armor and such things inside"

"Yes but do you remember where it was?" Peter asked and his brother in turn looked at him as if he were stupid.

"Yes I know where it was" the younger boy snapped slightly "In the back of the great hall right behind our…" he trailed off his frown fading as he looked back at where they had all once stood and then at Peter in realization. Peter nodded slightly.

"What?" Susan inquired looking between the two with a confused look "what is it?"

"If my guess is right" Peter said "there should be a door here that leads to the treasure room. That's how we'll know for certain that this is Cair Paravel"

"Nonsense" Edmund responded stepping forward as he did "can't you see? It's just a wall" the boy curled his hand into a fist "nothing more, nothing-"

_**THUMP!**_

Edmunds words cut shorts as he banged on the wall and it responded with an echoing thump of a sound. There was something behind this wall.

"I think you're onto something Peter" Annette voiced brushing past him and began pulling at the ivy before her. For five minutes she ripped and tore away the vines until a door stood where they all thought was once just a wall. "It's locked..." Annette checked looking back at the others a noting the darkening sky behind their heads. "No matter" she hummed "It's nearly night, we should build a fire and rest, not to mention we still haven't found anything to eat"

"She's right" Susan added

"The door is rotting" Edmund pointed out as everyone looked and took notice of this fact. "We can rip the door apart and use it as fire wood" the girls exchanged looks but the boys pay them no mind. With the help of both Peter's and Edmund's pocket knives the two chipped and ripped at the door until it was a pile of wood at the children's feet. Edmund dug into his bag and pulled out a flashlight he conveniently had with him and with him leading the way the five of them crossed through the open space.

Beyond the rotting door sat a hidden room down spiral steps and through tree roots that had penetrated the concrete area. Within were suits of armor of many sizes and shapes but that's not what caught the children's attention. Four large chests sat in the room in front of five tall statues. Annette followed the younger siblings whom ran to what she assumed were their own chest. The one they didn't go to was the one in the center of the rest. This chest was the only one that sat before two statues instead of one.

While Peter was busy examining a shield, Annette approached the statues. Besides a tall noble looking Peter was a statuesque figure of a woman. She was definitely thinner than Annette but there was no getting around it. This woman looked just like Annette.

Peter finally opened up the chest gaining everyone's attention. He pulled out what was placed above everything else. Unsheathing the item, a sword, he held it to the light.

"When Aslan bears his fangs" he read the inscriptions "winter meets its death"

"and when he shakes his main... We shall have spring again..." Lucy finished with a doleful expression "everyone we knew, Mr. Tumnus and the beavers... What's happens to them all?..."

"..." Annette swallowed down hard. She didn't know this people however there was a growing lump in her throat threatening to bring forth tears to her eyes. The one name Aslan sent chills down her spin. It was powerful and gave her a feeling as though something was being unlocked, in her head she could hear the soft _'click'_that comes when one unlocks a door or box.

Peter sheathed the sword in his hands "I think it's time we figure out what's going on..." he said.

"Peter" Annette spoke up, the two met eyes then she looked over her shoulder at the statues before looking back at Peter.

Susan was kind enough to explain to Annette while they were rummaging through Susan's chest for cloths to change to wear, the thickets had torn and dirtied their cloths up you see, that last year they had stumbled upon this world called Narnia; they became kings and queens of the land and lived here all the way to adulthood.

However suddenly, they returned to earth as children. This obviously explained why Peter acts the way he does as well as where they were now. This was apparently Narnia where their castles use to be.

The others changed into clothing in their chest that fit them before quickly leaving Annette and Peter alone.

"You said you would explain..." Annette spoke in a surprisingly soft voice as she browsed through the chest Peter claimed to be theirs. She was knelt before it with her back to the oldest Pevensie.

Peter didn't reply for a while. He should have guessed Annette would make some sort of connection at some point of time while in Narnia. It would be very awkward though to explain to his wife that she was in fact his wife.

When Peter stayed silent Annette glanced back at him. "She looks like me, why?" She questioned

"She was my wife while I was king and her name..." Peter started hesitantly watching Annette pull out one of the dresses within and scuffs at it, obviously she had to be wondering how she would ever fit these clothes. "Her name was Annette"

"...pardon?"

"So what you're saying to me is this girl you met while you first came to Narnia looked like me?"

"Yes"

"And when you both came to age you got married?"

"Yes"

"Her name was Annette?"

"Her name was Annette"

"And you had two kids together"

"One boy and one girl"

"And while you and your sibling went out hunting or whatever you somehow returned here leaving this Annette and your children behind in Narnia?"

"I didn't mean to leave-"

"And you think that...I'm your wife Annette?"

"...yes"

Annette kept a firm grip on the forest green dress she had found and managed to fit as she walked along side Peter much later. In her free arm she held bundles of dried sticks and wood she had gathered for the fire they had hoped to build before the sun fully disappeared over the western horizon. At first Annette didn't speak which made Peter assume she was thinking it over by the look on her face it seemed make sense to her. "I think it's safe to say I'm right" Peter added making Annette look at him.

"What makes you say that?" questioned the girl

"You've never been here before right?"

"Right"

"But you knew where you were" Peter pointed out, Annette's eyes perked at this "you knew this place was called Cair Paravel even though you've never been here and the place is in ruin."

Annette bit her bottom lip considering what the eldest Pevensie said. It did make sense when she thought about it; she had no memory of being here before, but those images from her daydream and names the others had said had all been so familiar like she'd grown up knowing it all. Peter watched Annette closely as she gained a strange look on her face before looking back towards Peter.

"I'm not your wife Peter" she said taking him by surprise "how would I be? I can't _stand_ you"

"but-" Peter tried with a bit of a hurt looked at Annette's words but she shook her head.

"You're so egotistical and selfish, why would _anyone_ want to marry you" Annette said.

Ouch, that one cut deep.

Without another word to Peter, Annette turned sharply and hurried ahead of Peter leaving a shattered ego and a broken heart in her wake... But that's just Annette White for you, captured your heart with her ruby lips and ripped it to shreds when they opened. Perhaps she had been right, after all Annette White was nothing like Peter's Annette besides her looks and her name... Still Peter just couldn't shake the thought that she was who she so stubbornly claimed she wasn't.

"Annette" he called out to her breaking into a jog to catch up with her but to his surprise she hadn't gone far. In fact, she stopped not far from him and she looked to be staring absent minded at some overgrown patch of woods. Her hands fell limp to her sides and she dropped the sticks she held to her feet. "...Annette?" Peter voiced looking at her before glancing at the trees she stared so blankly at.

"It's the same..." he heard Annette mutter to herself making him look at her confused if only could see what Annette saw. To her eyes all these trees were neatly arranged and she could make out the faintest shapes of apples among the branches. The sun that was supposed to be setting was rising making the trees seem to glow. She only faintly heard Peter call her name before she made her towards the trees.

"Annette?...wait Annette!" Peter quickly followed after her. The pair walked deeper into the thick trees though Peter had to jog to keep up with Annette's quick steps. It was like she had to make it somewhere in these trees as quickly as possible, after a few minutes Peter noticed something, they were surrounded by apple trees, they were in the orchard. After what felt like forever of walking Annette finally stopped before a... Willow tree? Peter couldn't recall there ever being a Willow tree in the orchard but it could have grown in the time that had gone by here. Annette gave Peter no room to wonder beyond that point because as quickly as she had stopped she was off again disappearing beyond the low branches, Peter sighed before following after her. What he found wasn't anything he expected. At the base of the willow tree stood what looked to be a cradle made from gold. Annette kneeled before it and gazed inside as if expecting something to be there but quickly looked disappointed. "What is this?" his words seemed to finally reach the girl for she shook her head slightly looking solemnly at the cradle.

"I don't know" she said "but someone was in here...why else would there be these cushions and this blanket?" she reached down and pulled up a deep green blanket from within. "It's torn and tattered but its thick, Peter someone has been sleeping here..." why did she look so distressed about this fact. That meant someone else was here! If they found the person then they could figure out what was going on. Peter stepped forward approaching both Annette and the cradle but as he got close he felt something press against the bottom of his shoe that didn't feel like a simple rock or tree root. Retracting his foot Peter looked down at what he stepped on and quickly made a strange sort of strangled choke of a noise. It was this sound that turned Annette's attention back to Peter. To her great surprise the boy looked extremely pale all of a sudden as he stared at whatever it was he had stepped on. "Wh…what is it?" she questioned "What are you looking at?" but Peter didn't answer her, he kneeled down just as Annette had and took the item in his hands giving Annette space to look. In his hands was a small, golden figure of what looked like a man with the lower body of a horse. Even though she didn't know what exactly the item was the sight of it increased the certain feeling of distress Annette had been feeling since she had seen the cradle empty. In all her daydreams there had been a pair of children inside but they were here…

"This…" Peter held the figure in his hand and turned it once or twice "…This...belonged to James" he choked on his own words and for the first time since meeting him Annette was seeing the boy on what looked like the verge of tears. James…that must have been the name of his son here in Narnia and despite herself and her hatred of the oldest of the Pevensie Annette stared at this boy with soft eyes.

"Peter…"

"He loved Centaurs" Peter told her with a crooked smile on his face but his eyes never met Annette's "and he looked up to his big sister so much…He was six when I saw him last…" It was clear he was trying not to cry in front of her but it must he was in obvious pain. Annette breathed in deep before offering the boy some form of comfort pushing his head so he rest it on her shoulder as he fixed his gaze on the figure in his hand.

"Don't worry Pete" she whispered softly to him rubbing his shoulders with as much comfort as her already awkward feeling self would allow. "We'll find out what's going on, we'll find out what happen to them I promise we will…" And there the two sat for a while in silence until Annette felt a slight chill from the east. "Come on Peter" she gave him a slight shake "It's getting darker and the others will start wondering what happen to us. Come on, up you go" she grunted at this point. Peter felt close to the equivalent of dead weight in her hands as if the figurine he held had sucked his energy and soul out of his body he barely tried to stand up. Annette suggested they gather some apples for everyone to eat when they got back and Peter vaguely agreed but showed no signs of trying to pick any out of the trees. Annette sighed leading him to the Willow and letting him lean against it. "Stay here" she ordered before turning around and disappearing behind the low branches of the willow.

When she was out of sight a strange thing accrued. A sudden wind breezed through the willow but from where Peter didn't know but he could tell that something was defiantly different as appose to a moment ago. Something was…alive? Suddenly the trunk of willow he leaned against gave a hard jerk making Peter stumble away from it and turn to face it. He knew it had been strange to see a willow in the orchard! This must be a Dryad, a tree spirit! Peter stood back and watched the Willow shrink in size until it began to take the form of a person and very familiar person to the once high king of Narnia. As the Dryad's human form came fully the beautiful woman let her arms drop to her sides hers eye closed but still even in this dim light Peter knew who she was.

"…Edna?" at the call of her name the Dryad known as Edna opened her eyes. Her grey orbs surveyed Peter before sparking with slight recognition.

"Your...majesty" her voice came out dry and weak before her eyes rolled and she fainted quickly caught by a startled Peter before she hit the ground. A collection of thumps came a moment later as result of Annette dropping the apples she had been carrying, she had not seen Edna's full transformation but she had seen enough of it to now know that she was the Willow tree that was once there.

"What are earth did I just see?" Annette spoke up when Peter finally looked at her but answering her question wasn't his focus. Edna was ice cold to the touch and felt as rough as tree bark. How long had she been like this?

"come on" Peter stood up carry Edna in his arms "let's get back" Annette hesitated but nodded her head and the two set off back the way they came as fast as they could.


	4. Chapter III: Edna

**Chapter III:** Edna

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><p>The others had been very surprised when Peter and Annette returned to their campsite with the unconscious Edna but nonetheless helped the best they could building a fire as big as they could so they could all stay warm for the night. Annette offered her coat to keep Edna warm and after they ate their evenly divided sandwiches and had their fill of apples they curled up close to the fire, tried their best to get comfortable on the cold ground and try to fall asleep. Edmund, much to his disliking apparently, was bundled up in Annette's coat with Edna for warmth after making comments like 'She'll have my head when she wakes up' as he did and soon he too dozed off like his sisters did.<p>

"Here" Peter spoke opening his coat to her "mine is big enough for both of us" of course Annette gave him a reproachful look.

"You don't think we're friends now do you?" she questioned

"Well why not?"

"Because I hate your guts, I thought we cleared that up earlier" through the light of the fire keeping them warm Annette could see Peter wince at her comment but this didn't faze her much. She huffed and crossed her arms around herself tightly in an attempt to keep warm. "Don't you worry about me, I'm not frail. I can take care of myself" She remarked focusing on the fire but Peter was stubborn and minutes later had his coat wrapped around himself and a now struggling Annette. "I'm sorry" she glared at him "Did you _want_ me to break your nose? You could have just asked"

"Threaten me all you like" Peter muttered before yawning sleepily "You'll thank me later, now go to sleep" The girl grunted at this but listened relaxing under the warmth of Peter's coat and quickly falling asleep.

_The dream Annette had that night was just as strange as her daydreams if not stranger. She was just a bit younger in this dream and instead of wearing the lovely green dress she had fallen asleep in she was wearing one of the school girl uniforms she could faintly remember seeing pictures of her Grandma Polly wearing. It was one of those sailor kinds of uniforms and she stood in a rather cramped room._

_She looked about the room with a feeling of alertness as if she weren't supposed to be in this room and the owner of the room had caught her. As her surrounding became clearer to Annette's vision she noticed that she was desperately clinging to the arm of a girl with a similar uniform to her own and this girl was reaching out to a table where some rings rested._

"_Please we have to go now" she found herself pleading the girl glancing from her to a very tall, very bony looking man and then behind her to a young boy who stood frozen to the spot in a little doorway nearby them. "We'll be late for supper, remember?"_

"_Just a minute Annette" the girl replied looking back at her with a smile "they're lovely rings and he's offering them. It would be rude to say no" Annette looked at the girls face and faltered in her tugging for a moment. This girl…she looked just like the picture Annette had seen of her Grandma Polly!_

"_P-Polly please" her word found her against her will but Polly simply turned back around and held out two fingers sticking them into two of the golden rings that sat on the table. No sooner did she touch them did Annette feel a tugging sensation similar to that she had felt at the station with the Pevensies and the room the two girls once stood in vanished from sight and Polly's arm vanished from her grip. Her feet could find no solid ground and she was surrounded by darkness._

_Annette thrashed about wherever she was reaching for any sign of Polly but could find none. That wasn't all, as she reached out into the darkness her movement were slow as if she were reaching through water and she felt this overwhelming sensation coming to her body. It was like she had been electrocuted, her skin crawled from her fingertips all the way to her toes and circled through her chest to the point that she thought her heart might burst from it. This feeling grew and grew until Annette's eyes snapped open. Where was she? She was floating in something…she looked around despite having no light to see. Judging by the slowed motion she had to guess she was under water and when she realize this it didn't take her long to panic. She held onto her breath and tightly as she could and swung her limbs around in a desperate search for solid ground. Was she upside-down? Rightsideup? She didn't know! But she knew one thing; she couldn't hold her breath forever. Already her lungs felt like they were on fire. She was going to die! She was going to die! Annette pulled back her flailing arms and covered her mouth in an attempt to keep air in as long as she could but she couldn't hold it any longer._

_Annette exhaled loudly and shut her eyes expecting to have water fill her mouth and lungs as she sucked in but to her surprise no water entered…only air. Just then, light finally graced Annette from high above her and let off a dim green glow. Annette gazed up at it in wonder before a force not her own pushed her towards it quickly. Just when she was about to break the surface she woke up startled._

To the unfortunates of the children when they woke they realized quickly that waking up outside is anything but pleasant. Annette was the first to wake with a jolt and a hard jerk of her elbow into Peter's nose in turn waking him up to pain. The boy yelped and groaned loudly releasing Annette to cradle his nose.

"Geez Annette" he groaned "I thought you were joking when you said you'd break my nose..." Annette gasped at what she had done.

"Oh, geez Pete I'm sorry. I didn't mean that!" she turned to him and winced slightly at what she had done. Peter pulled his hands away from his nose "you're bleeding" Annette cringed "I-I have a handkerchief in my bag, hold on" Still half asleep and with little light from twilight to guide Annette to her messenger bag the blond pushed herself to her feet and stumbled about. Her feet found the side of Susan's stomach and both girls yelled out as Annette fell forward and hit the concrete hard.

"Annette!" Susan groaned out in pain

"Sorry!"

"Try not to step on Lu while you're over there Annette" Peter joked with a slight chuckle despite his bleeding nose.

"Shut up Peter" Annette growled back.

So the children slowly began to wake and it became lighter and lighter out and easier for all of them to move around. After a breakfast of raw apples it was universally deiced that they had to get out of here. When the first ray of the sun peeked over the horizon the once sleeping dryad still wrapped tight in Annette's coat stirred. In the new sunlight she looked far worse than she had yesterday. Her silver dress was faded and her skin that usually glowed with life, as most dryad skin did, was dark grey color. She was quickly given water from a nearby well and apples were lined up for her to eat when she felt she could.

"Your majesty" her grey eyes held such pain and guilt as she gazed up at Peter. "I tried to stop her but she would not listen. This is my entire fault"

"Edna calm down and tell me what's going on" Peter's stern voice seem to keep the woman from going hysterical. "What happen here? Where are James and Clairabell? And Annette? Where is Annette?"

"That is what I am trying to say" Edna sobbed bringing her grey hands to her eyes "It is by my hands that this has happen! I foresaw it and could do nothing! My sister… my sister has died because of me!" she sobbed loudly at this point and Annette couldn't help feel a pang of sorrow for Peter. She had been right that she wasn't his wife because she was dead… Annette looked from the sobbing woman to Peter who now clenched his teeth.

"What about the children?" she decided to ask for herself "There was a cradle where we found you but it was empty… do you know what happen to them?"

"Right" Peter broke from his daze holding up the figurine he had found last night that Edna could see it. The dryad took it in her hand. "Edna, do you know where James and Clairabell are?" Edna frowned deeply.

"Something has gone wrong" she replied softly "they were not to wake until your return, my lord, nor was I…. I have slept under Aslan's magic till now…" there was that name again, Aslan. A shudder ran up Annette's spine when she heard it. Edna, now calmer than before, looked around at them all with slight curiosity "by what magic is this?" she reached up and gently touched Lucy's face, the youngest smiled back at her sweetly "has time turned back? Why do you stand as you did before the white witch met her end?" and it was here that the explanation began shortly. Edna learned of what happen to the Pevensies and of their sudden return.

"But Edna" Edmund spoke up "What's happen here?" he motioned to the ruins surrounding them. Edna in turn looked around as well before gaining a look of bewilderment.

"I know not" she answered shaking her head "the castle stood glorious when I was last awake" so even she didn't know what happen... They were back to square one.

"... What about Clairabell and James? You said they weren't supposed to wake up until I returned?" Peter questioned and Edna nodded her head to this.

"Under the will of Annette and magic of Aslan we were pulled into a deep sleep. I was to protect them to the point of your return my Lord" Edna explained weakly pushing herself to a sitting position with Susan's help. It seemed the longer she was awake to healthier she looked. Her dark skin had slowly faded to a faint peach color and her dress, as if a part of her very being, began to look less worn out. The Dryad lowered her head in contemplation "they must have woken from the spell though I know not when or how." she muttered before gaze at Peter sadly "my apologizes, your majesty, for I am unaware of how much time has passed. The children...they could be anywhere..." Peter sighed slowly getting to his feet.

"I see..." he spoke lowly before stepping back from the group and walking away. Annette watched him leave with a worried look in her eyes. She may hate the guy but she still felt sorry for him. He, apparently, had a family here and probably expected them to still be here when he returned but what he find? Not only is his castle in ruins but his wife is dead and his children are missing, it must be hard... Annette looked to the others before hitched up her dress and trailing after Peter.

"Peter" she placed a hand on his shoulder in the awkward comforting way she usually did "don't worry so much about it alright?" but the boy didn't look at her, still she tried "just because she didn't know where they are doesn't mean they're not safe. They're your kids even if this place is in ruin I'm certain no Narnian would leave them unguarded"

"...you're right" Peter sighed looking Annette's way and was greeted by her confident smile.

"I know I'm right" she confirmed making Peter snort and laugh at her. "Now come on your Majesty. Let's get out of here and find out where your kids are"

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><p>"So how do you suggest we get out of here?" was the question brought up by Edmund and it was a good question indeed. Yesterday when the children had walked the shore in search for fresh water they had quickly discovered that they were more or less stranded on an island. There was land in sight, one could see it as clearly atop the dizzy heights of the castle ruins as they could at the beach shore, but it was obvious that to get there it would be a swim. The water was not shallow enough to cross it on foot. Peter, Edmund, Susan and Annette sat at the edge of the ruins gazing out at the land just a short distance from the shores of the island. While contemplated their escape from the patch of land Lucy was by the fire tending to Edna as the dryad slowly recovered her strength.<p>

"The only chance we would have is to swim across" Susan said finally "it's not so far that we can't do that"

"Edna is in no shape to be swimming" Edmund shot his sister's suggestion down quickly with a glance over his shoulder, the other three looked as well. Edna was quietly thanking Lucy at the moment as the youngest Pevensie helped her sit up and gingerly held a cup made of gold, of which she had found in the treasure room, to the dryad's lips. Edmund was right, the weak being barely had her strength back she shouldn't be expected to swim so far. "Besides" Edmund added turning back to his siblings and Annette "she's a dryad, you know as well as I do that she can't swim"

Can't swim? The words, as softly as the boy had said them, rang loudly in Annette's ears. So loudly, in fact, it became a loud hum within the blondes head. Annette winced as her vision became blurred before her eyes. The Pevensies carried on with their conversation without knowing that they were twisting and blending together before Annette until they mixed with the sun behind them and glowed so brightly Annette had to close her eyes.

_The sun, it was so bright and so very warm on Annette's skin. She could hear the faint chirp of birds and felt a gently breeze kiss her skin. A deep chuckle reached her and made her open her eyes. Before her was the most breath taking of sights that immediately attacked Annette's senses as soon as she saw it. Water tumbled over the side of a high cliff spraying watering into the air and gave the area the faint smell of fresh water, like how it smells after a light rain. A spring rest bellow this waterfall wafting cool air at Annette, tempting her with its cool waves. She was being pulled towards this lovely spring by the owner of that deep chuckle. They looked back to her and revealed, to Annette's surprise, Peter smiling with an amused sincerity. Despite his smile Annette felt uneasy for whatever reason._

_"Relax Annette" Peter told her giving her hand a reassuring squeeze._

_"But I am the Lady Lucy's lady in wait" Annette found herself protesting softly "I must tend to your sister, my lord. Of this you know well" Peter simply chuckled on and continued to tug her closer to the spring. A sense of dread bubbled deep within Annette and she skillfully wiggled her hand free from the young high king "My Lord" Annette spoke softly as Peter stopped and looked back at her. "My Lord I cannot swim, I know not how" a golden brow curved in answer to this new revelation. Annette fixed a timid stare towards the ground refusing to gave into the gorgeous eyes of the high king as he turned to face her full "the thought of taking to water, it has frightened me for many years my lord. I mean no disrespect but I wish not to draw closer"_

_"But..." the dumbfounded king replied "You're a dryad"_

_"__**Hama**__dryad" Annette corrected him sharply._

_"But a dryad all the same" Peter replied rolling his eyes at the young girl "you know...spirit of nature and all"_

_"I am aware of what defines my existence my lord" Annette replied softly "and it is to my unfortunates that I must inform you that the being you are trying to refer to is a naiad...Not a dryad." Peter ran a hand through his hair obviously giving the comment a great deal of thought "Naiads are the spirits of the water" Annette explained "while dryads are the spirit of the wood...for these being to cross to each others domain would be most dangerous if they know not what they do..."_

_"So...all dryads don't know how to swim?" Peter asked and Annette nodded still keeping her eyes to the ground. "I see" Peter remarked after a moment's pause "well I guess I'll have to teach you how to swim" Annette hadn't expected this, she raised her head to look at him with worry._

_"My lord-" her voice caught itself in her throat at what she saw. Peter had stripped himself of his shirt and not stood before her with chest bare. Annette grew scarlet at once and turned away "please return your shirt!" she spoke with a shrill sort of embarrassment keeping her back to the king now "to...to see you in such an indecent manner...we are not...it is..." she heard Peter chuckle as she fumbled about her words "My lord __**please**__"_

_"Relax Annette" Peter replied chuckling on in such a tempting way, so very tempting. Annette chanced a glimpse peeking over her shoulder. To her relief the king had turned his back to her and with a careless toss of his shirt he walked the small distance towards the water._

_"Your majesty this is very valuable silk" Annette spoke with wide eyes hurrying forward and picking it up from the ground and dusting off the dirt that had already collected "A gift from your sister. Lady Susan would be __**most**__ cross should it be ruined!" she yelled the last part as Peter broke into a run and before Annette could yell for him to stop the high king, just recently 18 after five glorious years ruling Narnia, gave a loud cheer and dove into the spring. Annette sighed in defeat once he disappeared fully under the water. She folded his shirt neatly in her hands and slowly, cautiously made her way to the sandy shore. Peter resurfaced a moment later._

_"Come on Annette" he beckoned her "it's nice and refreshing!"_

_"Your majesty I must implore you" Annette beg nervously watching the waves raise close to her only to draw back to the spring just before touching her "please come from the water, please return to the castle or...or...or I shall see tones of red and be cross!" but the threat proved to strike little fear in the king for he grinned at her and swam away "Your majesty!" she called after him "My lord please!" his laugh replied to her with a flustered breath Annette yelled as loudly as she dared yell at the high king "Peter!"_

_"You'll have to come in and get me Annette" Peter replied, how childish. Again Annette sighed in defeat watching the king with slight astonishment._

_"You tend to a sapling, Annette" she told herself._

"Annette!"

Annette blinked and suddenly the sight of the spring and all those extraordinary senses it brought were gone. Annette was sitting with the Pevensies again and they stared at her with concern and curiosity. It had been Peter calling her name that brought her back. She blinked on rubbing her eyes and face.

"Sorry" she apologized "I zoned out for a moment, what did you say?"

"Do you think you could help Edna swim across?" Peter repeated his question and Annette quickly shook her head.

"I'm petrified of the water" she told him "I couldn't swim even if I wanted to"

"And neither can Lucy" Edmund added for good measure "and I'm not the strongest of swimmers either"

"Then what do you suggest we do Ed" Peter fired back "stay here and hope someone sees us? We can't live on apples forever"

"There's bound to be some sort of dock on the other side" Susan remarked before anymore arguments could break out "Peter, you and I are the strongest swimmers. We could swim across and look for a boat, we'll row it back here and get everyone else"

"I like that plan" Annette chirped pointing to Susan, she'd go along with anything so long as she didn't have to go about trying to swim. Peter looked her way before nodding slightly, so that was the plan.

* * *

><p>The children waited out a good deal of the morning while Edna slowly regained her strength and eventually was able to walk. When she could they gathered their things, packing what they could from the treasure room, and took to the path they had gone to get up to the ruins. The cool touch of the stream was a refreshing reward on their hot skins for putting up with the thick brushing on the way down.<p>

"Look!" Lucy pointed out suddenly as they neared the beach. Annette looked out to where she pointed pushing thorny branches out of the way so she could get a better view.

Far out in the water there was a row boat with two men that looked to be soldiers standing on it. They were holding something...wait no! They were holding someone! Annette squinted her eyes hoping she could see clearer from her spot among all these thickets. They held a small man by his feet and arms and looked like they were about to...

"They're going to drown him!" Annette stated horrified "We've got to do something!" and sooner did she say this that a sound rung out around them.

_**THWACK!**_

The wind whistle past Annette's ear and an arrow shot out from behind her. She looked back stunned at Susan who was drawing another arrow along her breath taking bow. The red feathered arrow she had just shot zoomed directly at the boat with great speed but missed the men and hit the side of the boat. They looked down at the arrow before directing their attention to the shore of the island but since the children were hidden among the thickets all they saw was an abandoned beach. The skilled archer prepared herself again taking in a deep breath and firing her arrow and this time she did not miss, the arrow struck one of the men directly in his helmet and sent him tumbling into the water. Frighten by this the man's companion threw the little person into the water and dove in after probably ready to swim away.

"Oh no!" Lucy shrieked

"What are you idiots doing just standing here?" Annette growled to Edmund and his brother who only stared back at her dumbly. "You're the ones with the swords! _Use them_!"Annette barked before rolling her eyes "boys" she grumbled under her breath "utterly _useless_ I swear. I have to do _everything_ around here" it was a tight and uncomfortable squeeze but eventually Annette pushed past the two boy letting her grip on a branch overhead go and took off down the remainder of the stream like a water slide.

"Annette!" she heard Peter tell after her but she ignored him. She tumbled onto the sandy beach and scrambled to her feet. Not at all bothered by the fact that she was unarmed Annette hitched up her dress and charged across the beach towards the water in an attempt to help the little man. Of course she was afraid, she heart pounded loudly in her ears at the very thought of what she was about to do but her fear for that safety of that man drove her harder than her fear of the water. Without hesitation Annette dove into the water and swam as best she could towards the man sinking to the sea floor. It was difficult to swim with this dress on, especially since she couldn't swim to begin with, but Annette was a tough girl and so managed to reach the man and wrap her arms round his waist. Well she got him now time for the hard part: swimming to the surface with no swimming skills and a dressed that now, thanks to the water, felt like a boulder holding her down. Annette kicked her legs feverishly hoping it would do something but to no avail, she couldn't fight it. So instead Annette tried for pushing the man to the surface hoping he might be able to swim the rest of the distance on his own.

Suddenly there was a shadow looming over them both swimming towards them. They got closer and closer until Annette could recognize him as Peter. He took the man from her before grabbing hold of her wrist and pulling her hard. It surprised Annette how strong Peter was because he managed to get the three of them to the surface and then quickly to the shore while Susan was busy pulling the row boat to shore.

"you're such an _idiot_!" was the first thing that came out of Peters mouth as soon as he could catch his breath and it was a harsh yelled directed to Annette who kneel in the sand coughing and gasping for air. "You could have killed yourself out there!" Peter bellowed motioning to the water "what happen to 'I'm petrified of the water' and 'I couldn't swim even if I wanted to' huh?" the boy yelled, Annette ignored him. Furious because of this Peter made her look at him "look at me Annette!" he yelled and she did glaring at him deeply.

"What did you expect me to do!" she screamed at him "you're useless! You stood there doing nothing! When someone's life hangs in the balance you have to work on instinct not stand there with your head in the clouds!" Peters grip on Annette's arm tightened making her wince slightly.

"Stopping being reckless for once would you!" he snapped "what help would you have been if you died down there!"

"_Stop it_! The both of you!" Edmund snapped pulling the two apart. Annette scoffed turning away from them and head over to Edna and Lucy who were busy trying to free the little man.

"He chokes" Edna informed Lucy "lungs filled with sea! We must remove the bounds" Lucy nodded and the dryad quickly yanked the cloth that was tied around his mouth. The man coughed loudly in a sputter of water and gargling breaths. Lucy began to cut him free as he regained his breath but once he did...

"You!" he fixed his eyes on Susan as she gathered her bow and quiver of arrows from where she had tossed them before she had dove into the water "is that the best you can do with that thing?"

"A simple 'thank you' would work too" Susan spoke in offense "and I wasn't trying to kill him!"

"They were doing just fine drowning me without your help!" the man snapped at her in such an ungrateful way

"Maybe we should have _let_ them" Annette voiced not at all liking this man's attitude after she almost died trying to save him and her words seemed to make the man settle down just a bit.

"Why were they trying to drown you anyway?" asked Lucy

"They're Talmerines" responded the man bitterly "it's what they do"

"What are Talmerines?" Annette whispered to Peter but Edmund spoke up before he could answer her.

"Talmerines?" he sounded "in Narnia?" the little man seemed to roll his eyes

"Where have you been for the last few hundred years" he responded sarcastically but Lucy found amusement in his words.

"It's a bit of a long story really" she giggled. The little man stared at them all with an eyebrow raised, a gesture Annette mirrored as a look of realization came on his face.

"Oh you have got to be joking" he said "you're it? You're the kings and queens of old?"

"High King Peter" Peter jumped in almost instantly offering his hand to shake "the magnificent"

An odd silence came after this making the eldest Pevensie gain an awkward face. Annette rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Pig" she murmured

"You probably could have left that last bit out" Susan spoke and the little man laughed in agreement

"_Probably_" he agreed


End file.
